[wjfox]

Drapers Gardens
City of London

Height: 100m
Floors: 30
Built: 1967
Architect: Sir Richard Seifert


Notes:
This was one of the first tall buildings to be appear in the City. The architect was Richard Seifert, who designed several other tall buildings in London including the NatWest Tower, Centrepoint and the Kings Reach Tower. This tower was said to be his personal favourite. It is currently undergoing redevelopment, but is considered by many to be a fine example of the period and has even been the center of a campaign to be listed by English Heritage. It is the closest tower to St Paul's cathedral when viewed from Waterloo Bridge.

 

[El_Greco]

Not big fan of this one - dont like green glass and concrete and its too close to St Pauls,shape is ok tho.

6/10

 

[El_Greco]

 

[Smoggie_Si]

A solid 7. I'm not going to make any claims for it being the zenith of 60s architecture, but it's pleasing enough to my eyes and there are so many shitey mid rises in London that it's a pity to see Drapers Gardens bite the dust rather than Angel Court, Fountain House, Lombard Street R2D2 etc etc.

 

[Peyre]

shame it was built where it was (and how, seem to remember problems with the height of the floors), otherwise it would probably have survived and got a much needed reclad.

 

[JDRS]

Hate the top and the concrete isn't particularly appealing. Nonetheless I like the shape of it. Is it on a podium?

Would love to see this rebuilt, taller, and in a modern style with all the necessary improvements made. Although the new building proposed isn't bad it's a bit bland. Although I can see the point about creating two seperate skylines; st pauls and the new city when this comes down.

Oh and 7/10

 

[wjfox]

One of the few decent 60's highrises in London.

8/10

 

[GazKinz]

8/10 A real shame this is going, I really like the shape of the floorplates, the graceful curves on either side, which is quite a rarity for a 60s building I guess. I also really like the concrete crown, very 1960s (in a good way IMO).

 

[jimbo]

7/10

poor old Seifert - so many of his designs seem to be massively maligned nowadays. Just because it was designed in the 1960s or 1970s and has a strong affinity with concrete doesn't mean it doesn't have architectural merit. Angel Court is much more loathsome, as is the old Stock Exchange Tower.

 

[Paul1988]

I can't believe they are knocking it down, I loved it so much.

 

[Wilq]

8/10 at this age is very nice.

 

[Yasser.Arafat]

Nice for a 60s scraper 8/10

 

[Manc Guy]

That pictures beautifull...

 

[The Longford]

Whilst i like this building and am a fan of Seifert and Partners i suspect that if this was anywhere except London nobody would entertain the idea of a listing.
As the secretary to the North West group of the Twentieth Century Society i must tow the party line on this and give it a 9/10
http://www.riskybuildings.org.uk/docs/03drapers/index.html

but as an arsey northerner who thinks that the two Seifert buildings in Manchester are better than this i'll give a 7/10

 

[Erebus555]

Unusual shape for a 1960's building. Not too keen on it though - dull. 7/10

 

[Gherkin]

I'll miss this one

 

[kirby21]

5 / 10

 

[Monters]

7/10. Has grown on me now that it's going - nostalgia, eh. Interesting, slightly macho design. I didn't buy the "too close to St Paul's" rubbish AT ALL. I ean, there's a photo of the view people complain about above - visually, it's nowhere near St Paul's, you don't even notice it when admiring the cathedral.

 

[dom]

One of Seifert's best, a crime that they demolished it. With a reclad, a scrub and a decent night lighting scheme it could have been something special. Kings Reach Tower is bad, they should have got rid of that instead.

English Heritage where are you when you need them?

 

[Jim856796]

I rated Drapers Gardens a 4/10 since this is brutalist architecture and it's a deceased skyscraper. Are you sure you're supposed to be rating dead skyscrapers on SkyscraperCity?